Schools to Watch
Social Equity: High-performing schools with middle grades are socially equitable, democratic, and fair. They provide every student with high-quality teachers, resources, learning opportunities, and supports. They keep positive options open for all students.• Faculty and administrators expect high-quality work from all students and are committed to helping each student produce it, Evidence of this commitment includes tutoring, mentoring, special adaptations, and other supports.
• Students may use many and varied approaches to achieve and demonstrate competence and mastery of standards.
• The school continually adapts curriculum, instruction, assessment, and scheduling to meet its students’ diverse and changing needs.
• All students have equal access to valued knowledge in all school classes and activities.
• Students have on-going opportunities to learn about and appreciate their own and others’ cultures. The school values knowledge from the diverse cultures represented in the school and our nation.
• Each child’s voice is heard, acknowledged, and respected.
• The school welcomes and encourages the active participation of all its families.
• The school’s reward system demonstrates that it values diversity, civility, service, and democratic citizenship.
• The faculty is culturally and linguistically diverse.
• The school’s suspension rate is low and in proportion to the student population.
